Worldwide Success

The Olympics is a phenomenal event, bringing together the very best athletes in the world.  Just making it to the Olympics is a triumph in and of itself.  Olympians around the world compete at the local level within their respective countries, then regionally, and then nationally.  Of those that make it at the national level, very few are good enough to compete internationally where the competition is even fiercer.  Of those that make it to that level, very, very few become Olympians.

If making to the Olympics is such an intense and difficult proposition, what does it take to the absolute very best?  When the difference between gold and silver is sometimes measured in fractions of a second, what sets apart the gold medalist, the one to gets to hear his national anthem and see the flag of his country being raised above all others?  What does it take to be an Olympic Gold medalist?

An Olympic gold medalist is the equivalent of a perfect storm.  Many factors combined come together to create this unique phenomenon, an extraordinary showing of what is possible when all the right ingredients are mixed together.  There is no magic formula for creating an Olympic gold medalist, but here some of the factors that are common to most of the “lucky” few that are proud owners of the ultimate symbol of athletic excellence:

Passion

It all starts with passion for the sport.  It would be hard to imagine an Olympic gold medalist who did not absolutely love their sport.  Without passion, an Olympian would not endure the many hours of very intense training and a lifetime of dedication required to reach the very peak of their sport. 

Active Life Commitment

Just to become an Olympian, you need to make a commitment to spend most of your time throughout your active life dedicated to the sport.  This means that the sport takes priority over everything else in your life, including social activities, friends, vacations, and even academic pursuits.

Unwavering Family Support

Family plays a very important role in the life of an Olympic gold medalist.  The never-ending practices, competitions, special routines, and even financial commitment are very taxing on the family.  Not to mention the emotional toll that comes with injuries, defeats, and all the hardships that in the end strengthen the athlete, but during the course of the intense preparation can be very difficult to deal with.  Without the love and support of family, it is unlikely that a young person can make it through the intense competition that leads to the gold medal.

Start Young

Most Olympians start their journey very young.  In many sports, if you miss the window of opportunity where you start developing your skills at a very young age you may never be able to “catch up” to become an Olympian.

Genes

The cards you were dealt, that is, your genes, are obviously outside of your control.  Nevertheless, it does not hurt to come from an athletic family, especially if you come from a family of Olympians.

Hard Work

At the end of the day, hard work speaks louder than many other factors.  If you want to be an Olympic gold medalist there is no getting out of working very hard towards your goals.

There are many other factors that go into the making of a champion.  Learn a few of the secrets from a world champion who wrote an excellent book about the art of learning.

There are many success lessons to be learned from Olympic gold medalists.  In the world of sports, there is no higher aspiration of success than to be one of the very few who get to carry the Olympic gold medal on their chest.  Success skills are transferrable from one discipline to another, and all of the factors listed here could be applied to just about any area of endeavor.

Social Bookmarks: